# What is the proper way of using IMPORTED\_TARGET
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156
**Category:** Usage
**Created:** [May 6, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156 "2020-05-06T18:34:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@yisseamake](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/yisseamake)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156/1 "2020-05-06T18:34:20Z")
Following up on the [What is the proper way to use FindPkgConfig](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29191855/what-is-the-proper-way-to-use-pkg-config-from-cmake)
and [FindPkgConfig](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.17/module/FindPkgConfig.html?highlight=pkg_search_module#command:pkg_search_module)[https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.17/module/FindPkgConfig.html?highlight=pkg\_search\_module#command:pkg\_search\_module](https://cmake.org/cmake/help/v3.17/module/FindPkgConfig.html?highlight=pkg_search_module#command:pkg_search_module)
Could you please advise what is the use case for IMPORTED\_TARGET.
The prefix (e,g, SDL2) variable (eg. SDL2\_LIBRARIES ) is accepted by the target\_link\_libraries so what functionality is added by IMPORTED\_TARGET named `PkgConfig::` ( e.g. PkgConfig::SDL2, see snippet below) ?
IMPORTED targets are not allowed to be installed and I doubt this could be circumvented by somehow exporting \_LIBRARIES, right?
include(FindPkgConfig)
pkg\_search\_module(SDL2 REQUIRED sdl2)
target\_include\_directories(app SYSTEM PUBLIC ${SDL2\_INCLUDE\_DIRS}
target\_link\_libraries(app ${SDL2\_LIBRARIES})
is there a case when both \_XXXX and PkgConfig:: are used?
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### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156/2 "2020-05-07T15:21:07Z")
Why not just link to `Pkgconfig::SDL2` here? I recommend ignoring the variables when an imported target exists; modern CMake is more geared towards making these targets the main way of doing things.
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### Author:  [@yisseamake](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/yisseamake)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2020, 1:06am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156/3 "2020-05-10T01:06:30Z")
Does this mean use of IMPORTED\_TARGET reflects pre-modern cmake and is no longer recommended and there no any scenarios with modern cmake where it could be useful?
Also PkgConfig::SDL2 is a target, not just variable, right? So can this target be an target argument in install(TARGETS PkgConfig::SDL2 ?
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### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/what-is-the-proper-way-of-using-imported-target/1156/4 "2020-05-10T14:10:57Z")
> [@yisseamake](#):
>
> Does this mean use of IMPORTED\_TARGET reflects pre-modern cmake and is no longer recommended
No? Use the target. Ignore the variables (`_INCLUDE_DIRS` and `_LIBRARIES`).
> [@yisseamake](#):
>
> Also PkgConfig::SDL2 is a target, not just variable, right?
It is a target, not a variable.
> [@yisseamake](#):
>
> So can this target be an target argument in install(TARGETS PkgConfig::SDL2 ?
No, as I said in the other thread, you cannot install imported targets.